![Rows of baijiu earthenware jars sealed for maturation in a warehouse.](https://q182e5.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/fly-images/29775/Process_Maturing-e1698964082870-750x435-c.jpg)
If you lately happen upon baijiu (pronounced BUY-joe) as a cocktail ingredient at your favorite hot spot, take note. The latest weapon in the arsenal of the American bartender isn’t some small-batch, hard-won, under-the-radar potion, but actually the most widely drunk spirit in the world.